Cyclic refrigeration system



Sept. 22, 1959 H. REAMER CYCLIC REFRIGERATION -SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2;.1955 Henry Reamer INVENTOR.

Q BY on! 8% United States Patent() 2,904,969 CYCLIC REFRIGERATION SYSTEMHenryReamer, .Silver'La'ke, Wis. Application November 23, 1955, SerialNo. 548,590

Claims. (Cl. 62-174) Elhis invention generally relates to a heatexchanging system, and more .:spec'ifically provides a :systememploypansion valve 14 in the usual manner.

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line 16 attached thereto. The control expansionvalve 14 is provided witha thermal expansion bulb 18 attached to the evaporator 10 by supportingmembers 20 and connected to the expansion valve 14 by a tube 22 whereintemperature of the evaporator it} will control the ex The cooling of theevaporator 10 to a predetermined point will close the expansion valve 14to prevent entrance of liquid and expanding refrigerant into theevaporator 10. When the temperature of the evaporator 10 reaches apredetermined point, the expansion valve 14 will be opened for admittingliquid refrigerant into the evaporator 10 to ing a heat exchanging fluidfor absorbing heat in one place and emitting heat at another placewherein the device may .be utilized in conjunction with refrigeration,air conditioning :or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a iheat exchangingsystem in accordance with the preceding object which employs a boilerfor pressurizing the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the evaporatorwherein the compressed gaseous refrigerant is forced into a condenserfor cooling with liquified refrigerant subsequentiy deposited in areceiver rank for supplying :the

evaporator whereby :a .pilot line interconnects 'the receiver tank andthe discharge of the evaporator and is equipped with a diaphragm switchto actuate the boiler when the pressure differential between the liquidreceiver tank and the discharge of the evaporator :is equalized foracmating the refrigerating system through another cycle.

.Another important object of the present invention .is to provide a heatexchanging system .in accordance with the preceding objectswhichincludes .a control circuit for the boiler heating device wherein theboiler :control circuit is controlled by the diaphragm switch and alsoby a thermal switch disposed within :the boiler whereby the-system .isactuated in response to temperature in the boiler and a differential :inpressure between the two sides of the evaporator.

A still further :object of the present invention vto provide a heatexchanging system including a safety device in the boiler for preventingoverheatingithereof.

Yet another important feature of the present invention is to provide arefrigeration :and/ or conditioning system including in its constructionthe arrangement set .forth above together with an accumulator with :abafiie therein at the discharge end of :t-he boiler to assure properpassage of the refrigerant gas through the system and from the boilerinto the condenser.

permit the expansion thereof and absorption of heat from the evaporator10 and from articles positioned adjacent the evaporator 10 in the usualmanner.

The other end of the connecting line 16 is in com munication with aliquid receiver tank 24 which may be of any configuration but isillustrated as being generally cylindrical. The upper end of thereceiver tank 24 is provided with a hand valve 26 and a T-fitt ing '28with a condenser 30 being connected to one portion of the T-connection28 with a check valve 32 disposed therebetween wherein the check valve32 will permit flow of refrigerant from the condenser 30 .into the receiver tank 24 but will prevent flow of refrigerant from the receivertank 24 back into the condenser 30.

Extending from the discharge of the evaporator 11! is a discharge line34 in which is disposed a hand valve 36 and a check valve 38 wherein thecheck valve 38 will permit flow of gaseous refrigerant from theevaporafor 10 but will prevent flow of the refrigerant from thedischarge line 34 back into the evaporator '10. The dis charge line34 isconnected at one end to a boiler 40 which is provided with a heat source42. The discharge line 34 is also provided with an accumulator 44 havingan inclined baffle 4-6itherein wherein the two portions of the dischargeline 34 are disposed on opposite sides of the baiile 46. Extending fromthe accumulator 44 adjacent the bottom thereof is :a supply line 48interconnecting the accumulator 44 and the condenser 30. A check valve50 and a hand valve 52 are provided in the supply line 48 and the checkvalve '50 permits fiO-W of refrigerant from the accumulator 44 into thecondenser 30 and prevents reverse ilow thereof.

A fusible plug 54 is provided in the boiler 40 together with aconnecting tube 56 with a control bellows 58 wherein the controlzbello-ws 58 controls the .heat source Other important objects ofthepresent invention will reside :in its simplicity of construction,efliciency of op eration, effectiveness, adaptation for its particularpurposes and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing :costs.

These together withother objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more dully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing :had to the accompanying drawings forming apart hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

The figure is a schematic layout .of the heat exchange system of thepresent invention with various portions thereof being labeled.

Referring nowspecifically to the figure of the drawings, it will be seenthat tthe refrigeration or heat exchanging system of the presentinvention includes an evaporator 10 which may be of any suitableconstruction but which is preferably of some coiled arrangement. Theevaporafor 10 ,is provided with an inlet pipe :12 to which is connecteda control expansion valve .14 with a connecting 42 for preventingoverheating :of the boiler 40 in the eventautomatic operation of thesystem fails. The boiler 40 is also provided with a thermal switch 60disposed in a control circuit =62 for the heat source 42 wherein theheat source :42 will ';be actuated partially in response to the thermalswitch 60.

'iinterconnecting the receiver tank '24 and the discharge line 34 ispapilot line "64 having a diaphragm switch 66 disposed therein wherein thediaphragm switch will the closed when pressure .on both portions of thepilot line 64 is equal. When the pressure in the portion of the pilotline 64 adjacent the receiver tank 24 is higher than the pressure in:the :pilot line 64 connected to the discharge line 34, the pressureswitch will he lope-u, thereby ,deenergizing or disconnecting :thecircuit :62. .Also, when the temperature within the :boiler reaches a:predetenmined point, the thermal switch will :open, therebydisconnecting or die-energizing .Ihecircuit 62-, thereby stopping theaction of the heat source.

In operation, thermal switch 26.0 is closed when a predetermined lowtemperature has been reached in the boiler 40. As the liquid refrigerantin the receiver tank 241s expanded through the expansion valve 14 intothe evaporator .10., the pressure in the discharge line 34 willgradually )IiSfi and become equal to .the :pressure-iin. the

receiver tank 24, wherein the pressure responsive diaphragm switch 66 inthe pilot line 64 will be closed, thereby energizing the circuit 62 forenergizing the heat source, thereby applying heat to the boiler 40.

The gaseous refrigerant in the boiler 40 is heated, and expanded and dueto the closed nature of the system, the expanding gas will provide apressurized system since the check valve 38 prevents reverse flow of theheated gas back into the evaporator 10. The pressure of the gaseousrefrigerant overcomes the spring tension on the check valve 50 andpasses through the condenser 30 where the gas is cooled by natural aircirculation and condensed into a liquid, and thus is discharged into thereceiver tank 24. When the thermal switch 66 reaches a predeterminedtemperature, the circuit 62 is de-energized, thereby interrupting theheat source, thereby stopping the flow of heat to the boiler 40. Theremaining refrigerant gases in the boiler as well as the accumulator arecooled by natural circulation of air thereby causing a lower pressure inthe boiler, accumulator and the discharge line 34 as well as thatportion of thepilot line 64 between the switch 66 and the discharge line34 than the pressure in the remainder of the system. As the pressuredifferential between the two sides of the diaphragm switch 66 increasesduring cooling of the boiler, line 34, accumulator and part of line 64,the diaphragm switch 66 will open thereby retaining the circuit 62de-energized even though the thermal switch 60 may be again closed asthe boiler 40 reaches a predetermined low temperature. As the expansionvalve 14 admits liquid refrigerant into the evaporator 10, thedifferential in pressure between the boiler side of the system and thedischarge side of the check valve 50 causes flow of refrigerant throughthe evaporator and out through the check valve 38 which will graduallyreduce the differential in pressure until pressure in the entire systemis substantially equalized wherein the pressure responsive switch 66will close and energize the circuit 62 for beginning another cycle ofoperation. Any type of heating medium may be employed in the presentinvention and the device may be utilized in various heat exchangingsystems. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is follows:

1. A cyclic refrigeration system comprising a liquid refrigerantreceiver tank, an evaporator, a connecting line between the tank andevaporator, an expansion valve in said connecting line, means forexpanding and heating the gaseous refrigerant discharged from theevaporator, a discharge line extending between the evaporator and theexpanding and heating means, a check valve in said discharge linepermitting flow from the evaporator to the expanding and heating means,a condenser, a line connecting the condenser to the receiver tank, asupply line between the discharge line and the condenser, said supplyline being connected to the discharge line between the expanding andheating means and the check valve in the discharge line, a check valvein the supply line permitting flow of high pressure gaseous refrigerantinto the condenser, and means responsive to the differential in pressurein the receiver tank and discharge line for automatically actuating andstopping said expanding and heating means. 2. A cyclic refrigerationsystem comprising a liquid refrigerant receiver tank, an evaporator, aconnecting line between the tank and evaporator, an expansion valve insaid connecting line, means for heating the gaseous refrigerantdischarged from the evaporator and raising the pressure thereof, adischarge line extending between the evaporator and the heating means, acheck valve in said discharge line permitting flow from the evaporatorto the heating means, a condenser, a line connecting the condenser tothe receiver tank, a supply line between the discharge line and thecondenser, said supply line being connected to the discharge linebetween the heating means and the check valve in the discharge line, acheck valve in the supply line permitting flow of high pressure heatedgaseous refrigerant into the condenser, and means responsive to thedifferential in pressure in the receiver tank and discharge line forautomatically actuating said heating means when pressures in the systemare equal and stopping the heating means when the pressures in thesystem are unequal, said heating means including a boiler, and a heatsource for said boiler.

3. A cyclic refrigeration system comprising a liquid refrigerantreceiver tank, an evaporator, a connecting line between the tank andevaporator, an expansion valve in said connecting line, boiler heatingmeans for expanding and heating the gaseous refrigerant discharged fromthe evaporator, a discharge line extending between the evaporator andthe boiler means, a check valve in said discharge line permitting flowfrom the evaporator to the boiler means, a condenser, a line connectingthe condenser to the receiver tank, a supply line between the dischargeline and the condenser, said supply line being connected to thedischarge line between the boiler means and the check valve in thedischarge line, a check valve in the supply line permitting flow of highpressure heated refrigerant into the condenser, and means responsive tothe differential in pressure in the receiver tank and discharge line forautomatically actuating said boiler means, said boiler means including aboiler, and a heat source for said boiler, said pressure responsivemeans including a pilot line interconnecting the receiver tank and thedischarge line, with the pilot line connecting with the discharge linebetween the condenser supply line and the check valve in the dischargeline and connecting with the line connecting the condenser with thereceiver tank, a diaphragm switch in said pilot line, a control circuitfor said heating means, said diaphragm switch energizing the controlcircuit, a thermal switch in said boiler means, said thermal switchconnecting the diaphragm switch to the control circuit, said diaphragmswitch being closed when the pressure in the tank and discharge line areequal, said thermal switch being closed when the temperature in theheating means drops to a predetermined point thereby actuating the heatsource and expanding gaseous refrigerant in the boiler and forcing thesame through the condenser until the thermal switch is opened by thetemperature of the boiler, the cooling of the boiler and the gaseousrefrigerant therein creating a partial vacuum in the discharge line foropening the diaphragm switch and permitting evaporation of liquidrefrigerant in the evaporator.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein an accumulator is disposed in thedischarge line with the supply line connected thereto, a baffie in saidaccumulator providing a guide for flow of gaseous refrigerant into thecondenser.

5. A cyclic refrigeration system comprising a liquid refrigerantreceiver tank, an evaporator communicated with the tank for receivingliquid refrigerant therefrom, an expansion valve on the inlet side ofsaid evaporator, a condenser communicated with said receiver tank fordischarging cooled liquid refrigerant under pressure to' the tank,boiler means communicated with the evaporator for receiving gaseousrefrigerant therefrom, said condenser having an inlet communicating withthe boiler means, a pilot line interconnecting the receiver tank and theoutlet side of the evaporator, a check valve permitting flow of gaseousrefrigerant from the evaporator, a check valve permitting flow of highpressure gaseous refrigerant into the condenser, a thermal switchdisposed in said boiler means for rendering the boiler means inoperativewhen I' l? gaseous refrigerant reaches a predetermined temperature, apressure responsive switch disposed in the pilot line for actuating saidboiler means when closed and maintaining the boiler means inoperativewhen open, said pressure responsive switch being open when the pressureof the gaseous refrigerant in the boiler means and inlet of thecondenser is less than the pressure in the condenser and receiver tankthus permitting expansion and evaporation of liquid refrigerant in theevaporator for equalizing pressures in the pilot line thus closing saidpressure responsive switch for operating the boiler means for raisingthe temperature and pressure of the gaseous refrigerant in the boilerfor forcing the high pressure heated gaseous refrigerant into thecondenser until the temperature in the boiler means opens the thermalswitch 6 for rendering the boiler means inoperative, the cooling of theboiler means causing a pressure reduction of the gaseous refrigerant foropening the pressure responsive switch before the thermal switch isclosed thus providing cyclic operation of the system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS653,171 Coleman July 3, 1900 1,046,134 Wolf et a1 Dec. 3, 1912 2,030,942Safiord Feb. 18, 1936 2,411,347 Trumpler Nov. 19, 1946

